Motion picture film cuer



Dec. 27, 1955 w. c. SCHULZ 2,728,394

MOTION PICTURE FILM CUER Filed April 21, 1955 INVENTOR. WILLIAM C. SCHULZ lllll lll 36 AGENT United States Patent 0 2,728,394 MOTION PICTURE FILM CUER William C. Schulz, Pasadena, Calif., assignor to Robert G. Schulz, Van Nuys, Calif.

Application April 21, 1955, Serial No. 502,807 13 Claims. (Cl. 164-90) My invention relates to means for gang-punching film and particularly motion picture film for the purpose of providing a cue in the process of projection.

the change. In the exhibition of film via television the need for cue marks has increased many times over that get ready and for change, as well as each fourteen or r I twenty-eight minutes for most filmed programs.

is a new function of providing cues to resumption of live parts of unwanted sounds of preparation, etc. from reaching the audience.

The sound one cannot be located in the same portion of the picture as the ture operators would then react thereto. In my cuer I provide more than one indexing means so that the picture change cues may be made to appear in the upper right hand corner of the picture lower right hand corner, or in equivalent distinguishingly different locations. This is one of the objects of my invention.

Motion picture cues cannot be properly provided by a mark or punch-out in a single frame of film, for this is exhibited for less than one twenty-fourth of a second. Similarly, individually applied marks or punches in successive frames invariably jump around in projection and do not effectively influence the eye of the operator. For this reason I provide a gang punch and proper indexing means so that the one will accurately appear in the same relative location in successive frames. This is another object of my invention.

a one having a greater brightness than any part of the picture proper and one which cannot be affected as ,has been described. To provide such an effective cue is another object of my invention.

As will be hereinafter portable, easy and quick to operate, is inexpensive to device is another object of my invention.

[Other objects of this invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed specification and upon examining the related drawings, in which:

picture change cues because the pic- 2,723,394 Patented Dec. 27, 1955 Fig. 1 shows the cuer in perspective with a piece of 35 mm. film in place for making a picture cue,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the base of my device with a piece of 16 mm. film, shown dotted, in place for making a sound cue,

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the mechanism of my cuer taken along the line of the punches, 3-3, in Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 shows sections of 16 mm. film provided with picture and with sound cues, and

Fig. 5 shows sections of 35 mm. film provided with picture and with sound cues according to my invention.

In Fig. 1 numeral 1 identifies the base of my cuer. This also serves as the die, or female portion, of the punch assembly. This is surmounted by the punch guide and My cuer is equally suitable for 35 insofar as constructional details are concerned. Since the mm. film the cuer is built in two sizes, the one for 35 mm. film merely being larger than the one for 16 mm. It is not necessary that the the same ratio as the film approximately 1 /2 times the size of the 16 mm. version.

Passing now to Fig. 2, the arrangement by which either a picture or a sound cue is made with only one cuer may be seen. Fig. 2 shows the die base only, in plan. Holes 7, 7, etc. are those through which punches 6, 6, etc. pass (see Figs. 1 and 3). Pin 8 is registered with a film perforation when a picture one is to be punched, while pin 9 is used when a sound cue is to be punched. A 35 mm. film is shown registered for picture in Fig. 1 whereas a l6 mm. film is shown dotted as positioned for punching a sound cue in Fig. 2.

In the films of the several figures the word Flash! is shown in each frame as would be the case for film exhibiting a title for a flash news event. film is inserted in the cuer so that the the right as the operator faces the cuer. When a picture cue is required in 16 mm. film a perforation thereof is slipped over index pin 8, and when a sound cue is required another perforation is slipped over pin 9 instead. The latter is the position of the film shown in Fig. 2. The word Picture is appropriately stamped into the base near pin 8 and the word Sound near pin 9 so that the operator may easily remember which pin he is to use in a particular case.

For indexing 35 mm. film the same procedure is fol- 35 mm. film milled slots 16 and 17, which may be ,5 wide and deep, are

placed on the inside of each index pin Aligning the frame bar of respect to the metal ofcopper wire or bar to ina '15 indicate. film .guide pins.

. have found in experimental automatically prominent the. cue marks gauge satisfactoryfor 16 mm. film and about 1 /2 that perforation occurs per frame and this is on the frame line or bar, hence alignment is automatic. It is'to be noted that alignment pins are provided on only one side of the film for either sound or, silent film and thereby either type may be accommodated.

Further referring to Fig.2, holes'lO andll are for dowel pins as used in machine practice to accurately position stripper 2 with respect to'base'l. Similarly, holes 12 and 13 are tapped for flat head screws which fasten i116 stripper and base together.

These are positioned so that the film fits snugly between. these, .the front part of the rear, 3, of thestripper, and theindex pinused. The film remains atop pin .if.pin.8.is.used and vice versa.

Themechanical.simplicity of my cuer. is.evidenced by Fig. 3. ln that-figure it is shownin the. non-operated 1 position in front sectionalelevationalong the line of the 6, 6, etc. extend verticalto the punches. The several punches ly fromapproximately. the top of. punch holder bottom .of the milled-out-portion ofstripper 2. There is a relieved portion 250, 20,- etc.- around:each' punch extending more. than 'half way up into. .the punch holder.

Numerals 14 and The punches. are preferably made .of music .wire and I useof this .device in making several thousand cues that the punches in this manner prevents breakage thereof and also insures that the punches will-enter the die holes .without appreciable wear.

The upward limit of travel of the punch. holder is .limited .by: fillister head machine screw21. This screws into a bottom-tapped hole in the forward part of stripper 2 and fits in the counterbored hole 22 in punch holder 5. The length of the screw is determined in manufacture :so that in assembling the cuer the person involved merely drives this screw home and all vertical adjustments are accomplished. This allows disassembly and reassembly by inexperienced persons in the field should some difficulty arise.

Identical compression springs 23 and 24 provide the restoring force to lift the punches out of the way for inserting and removing the film. These are nested in suitable counterbores 25 and 26 surrounding the end punches 6' as shown in Fig.3. The structure formed by punches 6 sliding in corresponding holes in stripper 2,

the fillister head screw 21 sliding in punch holder 5 and springs23 and 24 results in smooth dynamic performance when the operator operates the. cuer .by pressing down on the punch holder.

The dowels previously mentioned for holding the stripper and base in proper alignment regardless of disassembly-and reassembly during the life of the device are shown. dotted at .27 and 28 in Fig. 3. Likewise, flathead machinescrews 29 and 30 seat in couutersunkholes inthe stripper and screw into tapped holes in base 1.for

holding these two parts together.

Various materials may be used for constructing the cuer but I prefer aluminum alloy. 24ST4 for. theidie base, the stripper and the punch holder. The punches are preferably of music wire of a size depending upon how are to be. I have found #20 copper with steel dies in the base may be used, and have been.

.in Fig. 4 is shown apiece of 16 mm. film punched with my cuer. in the upper portion of the figure a piece of sound film 31 has been punched with picture one 32 in the upper right hand corner of four successive frames.

This is accomplished by. merely inserting the film so that .it reads correctlyand with the tops of the frames to'the right and slipping a perforation over the picture index only. In 'thelower portion of Fig. 4 a sound cue 33 is the added: flexibility afforded frames.

d shown in the lower right hand corner of four successive This was similarly accomplished, but ""with a perforation engaging the sound index pin only.

in Fig. 5 fragmentary portions of a 35 mm. sound film 34 are shown, with picture cue 35 in the upper portion and sound cue 36 in the lower of the separate portions of the film. As has been mentioned these cues were made in a cuer having the spacings concerned with the film proper 2.2 times larger than in the cuer for the 16 mm. film shown in Fig. 4, but with overalland general dimensions 1 /2 times the 16 mm. cuer.

It is to be understood that a wide variety of positions may be utilized for the cue marks if so desired-and that by changing the longitudinal position of an index pin, such as 8 or 9, the cue mark may be moved up or down at the right side of the picture frame. By moving the positions of the punches in manufacture the cue mark may be .givenany position. it is'usual that cornersare usedfor cue marks, to the end that the minimum-interference with theenjoyment of. the picture by the audience be created. Also, in television, the corners of the image are often cut off 'by the decorative masks in frontof the home receiver screensandthen the cues will not be seen at all. in the television station the monitors are not supplied with restrictive masks and so the cues are easily seen by those who must be guided thereby.

A cuer with four individual punches has been. shown. This is a preferred number in that.the cue isexhibited for one-sixth of a second. However, my device. may be made with any number of punches; a reasonable minimum being three and a reasonable maximum being .five. Also. the marks may besquare, triangular,etc., by giving appropriate shapes to the punches 6, 6,- etc. and thecorrespending holes in parts .1 and 2.

The cuer may be used in any waysatisfactory tothe operator, but it is usual to provide a picture alertcue ten seconds beforean action is to take place, such astoiallow starting another motion picture projector, etc., and another cue two seconds before. This corresponds to 240 frames and 48 frames, respectively, before the end of the film or before any particular point therein which marks the finalaction. For-a-sound cue the film is usually. cued onesecond (24 frames) before the announcer is to speak and one second. after he finishes. This prevents the audio .operator;from up-cuttingthe talk at the beginningand prevents noisy sound. at. the end.

his to be understood that instead of the guide-pins .14

. andllS other,guidezprojections:or. a milled slotzmay be used" to'properly. position the film 'in cooperation with the indexing means and the rear of stripper 2.

-A.convenient length for the stripper 2 andzpunch holder =5.-is 1 /4 for -a l6:mm.-cuer and 1 /2 times this length for and,propor.tions may .be made without departing from the I spirit and: domain 'of'the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention and the manner in which it is to be practiced,.I claim:

. l. -A motion-picture filmicuer' comprisinga base-having a plurality of aligneddie holes, a stripper surmounting said base, a punch holder,.'the. same plurality of-punches fastened in'thatportionofsaidholder .away from: said stripper with the same alignment as said die holes, plural indexhlgelements'for:positioning said film uponsaid base, one of said elements coactive with said film to one said film in one location in'successive frames and another mutuallyexclusive element coactingto cue said" film in another location in successive frames.

2. A' film' stripcuer comprisinga base having a'plurality of linearly aligned "die'holes,'a punch guide. fastened to said base" and extending above it, a punch h'older above 's'aid'guide, the same pluralityofpunches fastened in the 3. A film cuer comprising a base having a plurality of aligned die holes, film guide means and plural index pins, a stripper mounted above said base a distance sufiicient motion picture film to be cued, a reciprocatable punch holder surmounting said stripper, the same plurality of punches as said holes adapted to fit into said die holes, the same plurality of relieved holes so in one position in successive picture frames and another of said index pins adapted to position said film for placing cue holes in a different position in successive picture frames.

engaging said holder to a limit determined by a counterbored hole therein engaging said head.

5. One of said plural indexing projections upon said base being adapted to position said film for cue punching at one location in successive frames of said film and another mutually exclusive indexing projection in coaction with said film determining another location with respect to said frames.

6. A manually operated film cuer comprising a base having a plurality of aligned die holes, plural film guides and two indexes, a stripper fastened to said base having a gap therefrom to allow insertion of a motion picture film to be cued therebetween, plurality of aligned holes as said base, a punch holder adjacent said stripper on the side away from said base, said punch holder having the same plurality of aligned holes as said base, the holes in said holder being counterbored on the side adjacent said stripper, the same plurality of punches rigidly fastened into said aligned holes in said holder, said punches adapted to pass through said aligned holes in said stripper, through said film and into said aligned holes in said base, a plurality less than said prior plurality of compression springs nested between said stripper and said holder to hold these elements apart except when the same are manually urged together, and means to limit the action of said springs; one of said indexes located to coact with sprocket holes in said film to position said film with respect to said punches so that cue holes are similarly positioned in successive picture frames, and the second of said indexes located to coact mutually exclusively with sprocket holes in said film to position said film with respect to said punches so that cue holes are similarly positioned at a location removed from the prior said positionin successive picture frames.

7. A manual cueing device for marking motion picture film comprising a base, film guide means upon said base, plural film indexing structures on a part of said base, a plurality of aligned die holes located in said base in relatron to said guide means and said indexing structures to with said die holes, a punch holder surmounting said memher and resiliently attached thereto, and the same plurality of punches as die holes rigidly mounted in the top of said holder in the same alignment as said die holes; the recited elements coactive to punch holes in the same relative position in the same plurality of successive picture areas of said stripper having the same said film as said die holes upon said film being positioned in said device in plurality of springs lesser two indexing pins, a punch guide stripper fastened to said base having a gap therefrom to allow insertion of a motion picture film to be cued, said stripper axles-neamember. with said. punches. passing .thereinto, twosprings interposed: between saidpholder. and said member/sur rounding the two; end'punches of, said fourj punches, a fillister head screw attached to said memberand slidably engaging a countersunk hole, in said holder for limiting the effect. of. saidv springs in resiliently, positioning said holder and said member apart, two. guide pinsattached to. said base. to. laterally align said film therewith, an indexing pi-n upon said base to longitudinally positionsaid film for punching four holes therein at the upper right hand corner in successive picture frames upon manually moving said holder toward said-base and another indexing pin for positioning said film for punching at the lower righthand corner in successive picture frames.

punchesinsteadiof four.

. 13. The euerof claim instead of four.

11 in which thereare'five' punches References Cited in the file of; this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Genter Feb. 24, 1920 Ross Oct. 10, 1933 Mittell Apr. 3, 1934 Schiffi June 12, 1934 Bechtel Sept. 15, 1942 Wales Feb. 8, 1944. Merkur Sept. 12, 1950 

